The officer’s accessory – who is also a police officer – was caught red-handed. He was given 4 years less, since he had agreed to a plea bargain.

In Novosibirsk, 35-year-old Yury Malishevsky, who had stolen 3.5 kilos of confiscated drugs from a police station, faced trial. He used to be responsible for keeping records of confiscated items. The officer was sentenced to 16 years in high security prison, according to Kommersant. Malishevsky’s accessory who had agreed to a plea bargain was given a significantly less long sentence.

Novosibirsk police prevented a sale of a large batch of synthetic drugs in December 2016. Local police officer Azamat Kokozanov was one of the people involved in the sale. The police discovered 937 grams of mephedrone under the driver’s seat of his Toyota.

The arrestee immediately agreed to cooperate with investigators and informed on his accessory. He claimed his former colleague Yury Malishevsky asked him to deliver the drugs, according to Kokozanov. Malishevsky worked for Kirovsky district police at the time. Malishevsky offered him 175,000 rubles ($3,000) for the job, or a half of the money to be made selling the drugs.

The police discovered lack of another 2.5 kilos of drugs which Malishevsky was responsible for. It failed to find them.

The officer was arrested in the summer of 2017. The ICR Directorate in the Novosibirsk region charged him with violation of articles 229, part 4 (Stealing or Exportation of Narcotic Drugs or Psychotropic Substances, as Well as Plants Containing Narcotics or Psychotropic Substances, or Parts Thereof Containing Narcotics or Psychotropic Substances), 30, part 3 (Preparations for a Crime, and Attempted Crimes), and 228.1, part 5 (Illegal Making, Sale or Dispatch of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances or Analogues Thereof, as Well as Illegal Sale or Dispatch of Plants Containing Narcotics or Psychotropic Substances, or Parts Thereof Containing Narcotics or Psychotropic Substances) of the Russian Criminal Code.

Kokozanov was prosecuted separately and without examining the evidence. He was sentenced to 9 years and 3 months in prison. Malishevsky faced trial after him. The court sentenced him to 3 years less than what prosecutors wanted.